Bucharest Forum 2017

Sixth Edition
October 4-6, 2017

Jointly organized by the Aspen Institute Romania and GMFUS office in Romania, Bucharest Forum enjoys the key support of the Romanian Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the Ministry of National Defence of Romania. It benefits from a diverse participation of foreign and Romanian government representatives, political figures, experts, media and think tank representatives, as well as business leaders.

The sixth edition of the Bucharest Forum takes place between 4-6 October, 2017, at critical times for the region and Europe. The current international context is in flux, as on both shores of the Atlantic national politics is driven by new agendas and discourses, imprinting a consequent dynamics to international relations, and affecting economic trends at national, regional and international levels. Brought to the fore by grievances of a plurality of citizens who feel left out of mainstream politics and economy, the new political trend and its economic philosophy are generating antagonistic approaches and actions of various actors, leading to numerous clashes of interest, intention and outcomes. Indeed, the main feature of the current context is the numerous clashes being either in incubation phase or out in the open.

Bucharest Forum 2017 offers a platform for the various actors to meet and discuss their interests, approaches and goals, analyze potential and existing clashes, their implications and results, and look for ways to maximize the potential benefits of diverging views and mitigate the consequent negative impact.

The agenda of the Forum is structured around an overarching theme, Center and Periphery – Bridging the Divide, and the discussion will focus on its economic, financial and societal implications. The themes brought forward by this year’s Bucharest Forum are:

Investment climate in Central and Eastern Europe

Energy Union – a Fractured Market and an Elusive Goal

The Future of Energy, the Energy of the Future

A Transatlantic Defense Industry?

CEE – Losing Its Sense of Direction or Being Pushed off the Cliff?

Populism Trumping Democracy

Building New Economies in Old Countries

Financial Markets – New and Old

Free Trade in the Age of The Deal

New Generation of Investments

Competing for Talent and Skills in the Workforce

Offshore/onshore Security at the Black Sea

Digitropolis

Air and Space Industry

Smart Cities and a Connected World

Creating a Culture of Entrepreneurship

Agenda

The Young Strategic Leaders Forum aims to create a space of discussion and a work group for young professionals of the Aspen and GMF Fellows and Alumni communities that are committed to generate innovative and up-to-date analysis, and to contribute with groundbreaking perspectives and strategies in areas like foreign affairs, international relations, global economics and international public policy. This initiative aims to create practical contributions to the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, with an ultimate goal of creating a community.

16:00 – 16:10 Welcome and introductions

Mircea Geoana, President, Aspen Institute Romania

Alina Inayeh, Director of the Bucharest Office, German Marshall Fund of the United States

Central and Eastern Europe has become an increasingly troubled and complicated region, with serious security challenges, increasing illiberal tendencies and strong geopolitical competitions. Romania’s geographic and geopolitical location between East and West offers its challenges and opportunities, while its economic trajectory and strategies give the country a renewed importance in the region and with its partners. The panel will look at some of these tendencies and strategies, and their implication for and benefits to Romania’s current and potential partners.

Ilan Laufer, Minister for the Business Environment, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Romania

Decebal Fagadau, Mayor of Constanta

Yosuke Kawakami, Director for Japan, Board of Directors – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Soomin Park, Alternate Director for Australia, New Zealand and Korea, Board of Directors – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Patricia Wruuck, Economist, European Investment Bank

Moderator: Harlan Ullman, Senior Adviser, Atlantic Council

11:30 – 11:45 Coffee break

11:45 – 12:45 A New Economic World Order: What Role for Emerging Europe?

EU is facing a turbulent period, marked by centrifugal forces and processes, by a surge in populist discourse and illiberal tendencies. Many hope that, with the cycle of important European elections over, more clarity will be brought to its political landscape and new vigor to its leadership, taking the Union to its next level. The international context requires a determined and strong Europe, true to its values and beliefs. Europe needs to manage immediate threats and crises while determining and pursuing its long term vision and strategy. The panel is shaped to address both long term approach (first part) and immediate goals of the next two years (the second).

Europe Looking Ahead…

Victor Negrescu, Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Romania

Andreea Pastirnac, Minister for Romanians Abroad

Angela Cristea, Head of the European Commission representation in Romania

Moderator: Ali Aslan, TV Host and Journalist, Deutsche Welle TV

… Beyond the Next Two Years

Lilyana Pavlova, Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU

Europe South-East and East remain victim to complicated internal politics, difficult relations between countries and, most importantly, diverging interests and influences of external actors. Countries (or governments?) react and adapt differently to all these pressures, hedging their orientation and policies to ensure long-term positive outcomes, or at least mitigate problems. Ideology and values are used to shape the best adapting strategy, creating complicated regional mosaiques. The first part of the panel will look at countries in Europe’s South-East, divided along many lines, while the second will analyze the situation in Europe’s East, where one major actor is keen to conquer the region, both metaphorically and literally.

Divide …

Aleksandar Andrija Pejović, Minister of European Affairs of Montenegro

H.E. István Íjgyártó, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary

Amir Muharemi, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia

Moderator: Tim Judah, Special Correspondent, The Economist

… and Conquer

Mustafa Aydin, Rector, Kadir Has University

Pavel Felgenhauer, Analyst, Novaya Gazeta

Nicolas Tenzer, Chairman, Center for Studies and Research on Political Decision

Europe’s security faces multiple challenges posed by state and non-state actors to the South, to the East and from within the continent. At the same time its decades long dependence on the US partner seems is increasingly challenged by European voices asking for more European defense. The panel will look at these new tendencies and their political, security and economic implications.

Gen. Nicolae Ciucă, Chief of the Romanian General Staff, Ministry of National Defence, Romania

George Ciamba, Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania

Gabriel Vlase, Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of Romania

China’s BRI project is getting more and more traction, as it grows both geographically and investment wise. It has become an important economic opportunity for the countries it involves, and of interest to the EU and other partners. The panel will look at the newest and future developments of the project, and at its economic and political implications, challenges and opportunities.

Keynote address:

Li Yujie, Councillor of European Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China

Panelists:

Tengiz Pkhaladze, Foreign Relations Secretary, ‎Administration of the President of Georgia

Alexey Golovin, Vice President Corporate Development and Strategy, KMG International Group

Cristiana Pasca Palmer, UN Assistant Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

Doru Costea, former Ambassador to People’s Republic of China and Mongolia

Xiong Tao, European Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China

The panel discusses new, clean ways of producing energy. Technologies such as smart, integrated, digitalized grids, and the analysis of big data are leading to the emergence of prosumers and creating efficiency on the market while contributing to environmental sustainability. Embracing these innovations provides a major economic opportunity for Romania and the region. The panel also presents the white paper of Aspen Energy Lab, an Aspen Public Policy Program dedicated to emerging leaders in energy. This year, the paper focused on vulnerable consumers and energy poverty in the context of negotiations for the “Clean Energy for all Europeans” package proposed by the European Union.

15:45 – 16:30 Interactive Session with Steve Clemons, Washington editor at large for The Atlantic and editor of Atlantic Live – Where Would It Break First?

16:30 – 17:45 Plenary Session: Who is Afraid of Technology?

Technology has reached the point in its development when it affects and may change industries, economies and societies. These changes require adaptation, and consequently public policies that foresee these changes and propose measures that maximize the benefits they yield and minimize the negative impact. The panel will look at the possible short-, medium- and long term changes of this nature, and their economic, political and social implications.

Moderator: Steve Clemons, Washington editor at large for The Atlantic and editor of Atlantic Live

17:45 – 18:00 Closing Remarks

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Black Sea Diaries photo exhibition in the foyer

The photography exhibition Black Sea Diaries is part of a photo-video documentary project based on a journey around the extended Black Sea region that was completed in 2017. Its purpose is to discover the lives of ordinary people. While the region continues to be dominated by external conflicts and internal tensions, people still share the same joys and sorrows. They move across the region following their passions or they stay at home and build houses, families, communities, creative lives. The area’s cultural richness often attracts other settlers.

They are the people for whom policies are made. They do not determine borders. Instead, they create small universes in which they pursue the right to be happy. They are the #PeopleOfTheBlackSea

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The project has received the financial support from the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation – A project of the German Marshall Fund. Opinions expressed in the materials do not necessarily represent those of the Black Sea Trust, the German Marshall Fund, or its partners.